Titan's Return
by HeavenSolstice
Summary: The Great Battle ended with the disappearance of Luke and Percy. As Annabeth, Thalia, Nico and Grover try to accept the fact that Percy is dead after a year, Luke washes up on the shore of Camp Half Blood along with a dark secret...
1. Prologue

**Hi. This is my first FanFic. Hopefully you would enjoy it. Reviews and constructive criticism are highly appreciated. Love Percy Jackson and the Olympians =).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and The Olympians. (Unfortunately....)**

**P.S: I'd hope to get at least 10 reviews before continuing the story ^^**

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Prologue:

Annabeth's POV

My legs felt like roots clinging to the earth beneath me as I watched the duel before my eyes.

"It appears Luke was right about your poor swordplay, Jackson," uttered the deep, metallic voice of Kronos. No matter how many times I hear it coming out of Luke's body, it would still send shivers down my spine. No matter how many times I look at the person before me, I still couldn't believe that the Luke I once knew was not the same person in front of me right now. The cursed sword in his right hand, Backbiter, was hungering for more blood. Percy's blood.

Percy was catching his breath. I could see his hand trembling. He was grabbing the side of his torso, where he had been slashed by Kronos/Luke. His sword, Riptide, was broken into half with the mere brute strength of the Titan's slash. Despite bathing in the River Styx, Percy was somehow still vulnerable to the Titan's cursed sword/scythe. I couldn't comprehend why but the fact of the matter was, Percy was in trouble and I had to do something to, at the least, help him.

"LUKE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Hopefully, just hopefully, my voice managed to get to him. I knew he was there deep down inside. I just knew.

"Luke, stop this! I know you're there deep down inside. I know you're not an evil person, Luke!"

"It's pointless, daughter of Athena. The boy has been sealed inside. I'm the one in full control. And in a matter of moments, I shall emerge in my true form and none of you pathetic demigods would be able to stop me!" laughed Kronos/Luke.

"I don't believe THAT!" I cried. "Luke, fight him! Don't falter! I know you're better than him! Don't LOSE to HIM!!"

At that moment, Kronos/Luke lunged in front. Immediately, I drew my knife prepared to defend myself. But the strength of the Titan was incredible. He struck me with the flat side of his sword and sent me flying in the air. My body crashed into the wall behind me, collapsing the wall in the process. A jolt of pain rushed up my spine. The celestial bronze dagger Luke had given to me when I was seven was thrown a distance away from me.

"I shall send you to the depths of the Underworld, demigod. You can greet your dead demigod friends down there as well, "mocked the Titan.

"I have faith in you, Luke. This isn't you! Don't lose to this fiend controlling your body!"

But, my words were ultimately to no avail. Kronos/Luke readied his sword. In a matter of moments, I would feel a sharp, excruciating pain and then probably nothing at all.

"Send my regards to the demigods in the Underworld, daughter of Athena."

I closed my eyes, readying myself to pass on to the other world. I counted. 3…2…1…

I opened my eyes. I was unharmed. What had happened? Why hadn't Kronos/Luke finished me off?

"Curse you, son of Poseidon!"he bellowed.

Percy had stabbed his back with the celestial bronze dagger. The dagger had managed to penetrate him. Gold fluid oozed out of the wound.

"NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE!" roared the Titan.

All of a sudden, a gold aura began to radiate from Kronos/Luke's body. The walls started crumbling. The earth was shaking. An immense power was being released from the Titan.

"Annabeth, RUN!" shouted Percy.

"I'm not leaving here without you, Percy!"

"I have to end this, Annabeth. I have to finish him. You're gonna die if you stay here any longer. Just go, Annabeth!"

I shook my head. Tears began to well up in my eyes. I wasn't going to leave Percy to his doom. No way!

"I can't just leave you, Percy! I--"

"I'll be OK, Wise Girl." He smiled at me with those piercing sea-green eyes of his. "I'll come running back when I'm done here."

I stared at him. He nodded his head, reassuring me that he was going to be fine.

"Go," he said.

"Promise, Seaweed Brain?"

"I promise."

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I ran as quickly as my aching body could take me. When I felt I was at a safe enough distance, I waited. Percy would come running any minute now. Sitting. Waiting. The earthquake was growing stronger and stronger. Then, it happened. There was a blinding light followed by a loud boom from the area where they were fighting.

"No…" I began thinking to myself.

No… No… No…

A large, deep fissure had appeared at the site of their battle. But the two individuals were gone. Disappeared. Vanished…


	2. Chapter 1: Grief

**Hey guys. I know I said I wanted to get 10 reviews before continuing but I had this sudden urge to write this out. Partly cause I didn't really like how I written the Prologue (and I would like to thank those who read it). Anyway I think I did better here. So enjoy the 1****st**** chapter!! – Heaven's Solstice**

**P.S: See that green button at the bottom. I would highly appreciate it if you could press it and tell me how bad or good my story, preferably with an explanation. Show that you care!!**

**AND now, ON WITH THE STORY!

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Chapter 1: Grief

Third Person POV

Annabeth bolted upright on her bed. Beads of sweat were trickling down her temples. Her long, lustrous blonde hair was in an utter mess. Her face, pale as a ghost. Her hands were shivering. It was that dream again. A nightmare, to be exact. She looked around. Her cabin looked like it had been trashed by a hurricane, but other than that, everything was normal. The other children of Athena had better tidied up the place tomorrow morning, or she was really going to blow off some steam. She stared outside the window in her cabin, gazing at the silver crescent moon and the celestial night sky with her somewhat forlorn eyes. Her eyes were welled up in tears. She had been crying every single night after the Great Battle of New York. (How creative of the gods to come up with a name like that!)

She closed her puffy eyes and began to fondle with the necklace around her neck.

_"I promise."_

The voice echoed in her mind over and over again. The final words uttered to her by her best friend and the hero of the Great Battle, Percy Jackson. A year had passed since Percy's disappearance. It had been a lonely summer indeed. Now she was back in camp and no matter how many times she passed by the Poseidon cabin, she couldn't resist weeping. Every night she would wander aimlessly along the beach, silently wishing that Percy would just wash up on shore being the son of Poseidon and all.

Sitting in her bed, she planted her face into the palm of her hands. The brilliant, silver rays of moonlight shining through the window beside her bed were revealing her long, lustrous blonde hair. As she hugged her legs in her bed silently awaiting the break of dawn when the hustle and bustle of camp would start, she muttered in a dispirited tone, "Percy… Where are you?"

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Annabeth's POV

The scenery at the beach made me think of that day again. The sun was breaching the horizon. I guess Apollo was around the area. The dark blue shade of the sky was beginning to become lighter and lighter. The orange horizon moments ago was now replaced with the blindingly beautiful torch of the sky. A short, relaxing zephyr blew through my hair and filled my nostrils with the smell of the sea. As I stared blankly at the view in front of me, my mind began to rewind itself back to the day Percy … "disappeared". That sunrise moments ago was the last thing I saw before Chiron and Grover had asked me to leave.

"Beautiful, ain't it?"

I jumped and turned to my left.

"Thalia! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed as I stood up and gave her a big nice hug. For once this summer I managed to NOT force a smile.

"You know what today is right?" she asked.

I stared at her blankly. Today? I had lost track of time for so long I didn't even know what day today was.

"Percy's anniversary?"

My smile instantly faded. "Don't Thalia. Please," I said.

She let out a heavy sigh and sat down beside me. "The whole gang is here you know. Including Lady Artemis. He died a bona fide hero, Annabeth."

"He's not dead, Thalia."

"Stop being in denial for crying out loud. It's been a year. He would've came back by now if he just merely disappeared."

"Look, he promised me that he'll be back. You weren't there, Thalia. You wouldn't know."

Thalia planted her face in the palm of her hand and shook her head. "You know for a child of the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy, you can be pretty irrational sometimes."

Irrational. Maybe. I mean I don't know why. When the explosion occurred at Mount St. Helens, I was devastated. My mind kept telling me that Percy was dead until he suddenly appeared out of the blue. But I clearly remembered part of me didn't believe that Seaweed Brain would die that easily. Now, it was… complicated.

I just sat silently there hoping that Thalia would leave me alone. Not that I didn't want her there. I appreciated her being worried about me but if she continued trying to convince me that Percy was dead, I would have punched her in the face.

Thankfully, she did.

"I tried, Goat Boy. She won't budge." I could hear her say from a distance.

The sound of hooves approaching behind me caught my attention. Only one thing crossed my mind. Oh boy, more company.

"Hey, Annabeth," said Grover.

I let out a sigh. "Hey, Grover."

"The ceremony's gonna…"

"I'm not going." I cut him off.

"Listen, Annabeth. You remember that empathy link me and Percy have? I can't sense it anymore, Annabeth. So…"

I stood up and walked away before he could even complete his sentence. I walked along the beach trying to clear the mess in my head.

No, he's not dead Annabeth, said a voice in my head.

It's been a year, said another.

"I don't know what to say," said another… wait, this was a real voice.

A boy with scarlet hair wearing a black leather jacket with black denim jeans appeared beside me.

"Hi, Annabeth," he said.

"Nico? Wow, you really changed over the year." He was much taller. His voice was deeper and his body, more ripped.

"Thanks," he said with a wide grin across his face.

There was an awkward moment of silence as we strolled along the beach. The sun was getting hotter by the moment and I could tell Nico wasn't enjoying it one bit.

"I don't think Percy's dead too, you know," he said breaking the silence.

I was stunned. My brows rose. I half-expected him to say the same things as Thalia and Grover had said.

Nico looked at me giving me the same expression.

"Son of Hades? I can sense when someone has died, remember? Anyway, I've been in an out of the Underworld a lot lately running errands for my lazy-ass father and I haven't seen Percy around."

For once, I felt reassurance. Why couldn't more people be like Nico? Why did everyone had to be so pessimistic?

But still…

"Thanks, Nico."

"Don't mention it. You are Percy's girlfriend after all."

My face flushed. "He's not my boyfriend!"

Nico gave me a playful wink with his face grinning as if Christmas was already here.

"Sure he isn't…."

We spent the next hour just chatting about our lives. I didn't really know him before (him being a loner and all). He had spent a fortnight in his father's lair and purely described it as pure torture.

"You know the phrase, 'behind every great man is a successful woman'? For my father's case, behind every evil god, is a more evil goddess."

We laughed and for a moment I felt myself again. For that short period, Percy was off my mind. For a moment, I felt relief. Free from the burden of reality.

"Come to think of it," Nico said. "I haven't seen Luke down there either…"

I looked at him, intrigued with what he had just said.

"You're saying Luke and Kronos aren't dead either?!" That was going to be a problem.

"Chill down, Annabeth. I'm just saying I haven't seen Luke's lifeless spirit swirling in the River Styx. Weren't you guys friends or something?"

"We…" I stopped.

Something averted my attention. There was something up ahead lying on the shore. It was… a body.

"Nico, go get Chiron. Now!"

I rushed towards the lifeless body, hoping that there was still a pulse beating. It already sucked having to deal with my current dilemma. It would suck even more if we had to start camp with a corpse washed onto our shore.

I approached closer with each step. Every second was crucial. I turned over the body and my face turned pale as if I had just seen a ghost.

Which I had…

Because right before my very eyes…

"Annabeth, what is the matter?" asked Chiron as he approached, Grover and Thalia trailing from behind.

In an instant, I saw them pull off the same expression I had.

The body of Luke Castellan, son of Hermes or better known as the traitor of Olympus was right before us...  


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**Cliffhanger! Once again I stress on REVIEWS! The REVIEWS are important for future improvement! REVIEWS, REVIEWS, REVIEWS! It's that green button at the bottom. The box with "Submit Review/s ...."**

**OK. With this done, I'm gonna go play FFXIII for a while.**

Working on next chapter too BTW.

Signing off- Heaven's Solstice.


	3. Chapter 2: When Hope Is Lost

'**Sup guys. Solstice here (Don't want to write 'Heaven here'… Sounds wrong XD). I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and set my story on alert. It felt good watching my Inbox fill up with mail.**

**AND of course, never forget to REVIEW after every chapter if possible. I appreciate your effort and please feel free to share your heartfelt opinion. Not only does it make me want to write more, it helps me write better. =D**

**Now, ON with the STORY! Get ready for Chapter 2!

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Chapter 2: When Hope Is Lost

Third Person POV

As the orange sun returns to the horizon signifying the arrival of nightfall, the news of Luke Castellan washing up on the shore of Camp Half-Blood began spreading like wildfire. The memorial for Perseus Jackson was postponed for the camp authorities to settle the matter at hand. For now, Luke was lying in the infirmary. There was still a pulse beating inside that corrupted body of his and if he were to regain consciousness, only the Gods would know whether it would be Luke or Kronos who would be in control of the body. (Actually not even they do, but… you get the idea.)

The chirping of the crickets filled the night air. When the first few beads of raindrop drizzled from the heavens above, the campers began rushing back to their respected cabins, wisely avoiding the deluge that came moments later. Dousing the lively campfire of Camp Half-Blood, the rain brought about a gloomy and dark atmosphere.

First, the memorial of the glorious hero, Percy Jackson had to be postponed.

Then, the "arrival" of the traitor, Luke Castellan .

And now this? What else could go wrong?

Annabeth was sitting on a wooden chair beside Luke. She didn't know what to make out of this situation. She was partially happy that the person whom she considered much like a brother (possibly even more) was still alive. Then, part of her felt like strangling his neck or suffocating him with a pillow for the sins he has committed. With that feeling of uncertainty, she sat there contemplating and hoping that by the time the blonde traitor opens his eyes, she would know what to do.

Thalia was standing beside the infirmary bed. Looking at the expression on Annabeth's face, she knew instantly that Annabeth was having the same thoughts as she was.

Luke's presence was certainly an enigma that has brought about much speculation among the campers and the camp authorities. So many questions had to be answered and Luke had the answers. Yet, Annabeth only wanted one answer and Luke might not be able to give her the answer she seeks for.

"_If Luke is alive, then where the hell is Percy?"

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_

Grover's POV

"Hey, Juniper?"

"Hmm?"

"I was having that dream again…"

I looked down. There she was under the tree. My beautiful nymph girlfriend looking at me with those gorgeous eyes. We were taking shelter from the sudden downpour.

"Grover, I told you it was just a dream. Don't worry about it."

_"Real reassuring…" I thought to myself._

Maybe I should talk to Chiron about this. The dream was just plain 'nasty'…

_I was at camp as usual. The only difference was... It was burning. And in the middle, I could see this black figure holding a sword in his right hand. It was relatively obvious that the one responsible for orchestrating this massacre was standing right there. Slowly, the figure turned his head and I swear I could feel my legs turn to jelly. Its eyes were gold. It wasn't that tall nor was it the scary monster type. But there was just this dark, frightening aura when you were in his presence. What scared me the most wasn't purely because of that but because his presence was… familiar._

The more I thought of it, the less I felt like closing my eyes.

_"We should probably just get rid of Luke right here right now," I thought to myself._

He was the host for Kronos' soul after all. Assuming that the dream I had was going to come true (and it usually does around here), the only logical thing to do was to get rid of him.

I wish Percy was around…

He was always the guy I'd talk to in a dilemma like this. But… he was gone. It is strange though. When Percy died, the empathy link should have been broken. The weird thing now is… I was alive. I couldn't sense it, but I was alive. It was still a question that puzzled me. And now that Luke washed up on camp shore, I'm starting to believe that Percy could still be alive too. But then… why couldn't I use the empathy link? Why couldn't I sense it?

"ARGHH!!" I shook my head so hard, I lost my balance and fell off the branch of the tree I was lying on. From 6 feet in the air, I came crashing down like in that baby in the lullaby.

"Grover!" My girlfriend shrieked.

I rubbed the back of my head. My body felt sore and all but apart from that, I was practically fine. May hurt in the morning but I was fine.

"You OK, baby?" She asked as she touched the back of my head.

"I'm…"

"GROVER!"

The shout came from a distance. Carefully, Juniper helped me up. I looked closely and saw the scarlet hair and the black leather jacket from a distance. He came running towards us with an umbrella in his right hand, looking very urgent.

"Nico, what's…?" And I was cut off again by the boy before I could finish.

"Luke. He's awake."

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Annabeth's POV

The raindrops were beating against the window of the infirmary. My eyes were almost on the verge of closing. It had been around 3 hours. The crescent moon was once again in the black canvas above surrounded by clusters of twinkling stars. The air was a bit chilly which made me even drowsier than I already was.

Then, I heard a low growl. I looked at Thalia. Her eyes met mine and immediately we turned to the bed.

Luke ran his hand through his blonde hair and slowly opened his eyes.

"Damn the gods…," he cursed as he slowly sat himself up on the bed.

His eyes met both of us and he let out a sigh.

"Good to see you too."

Thalia was the first to make her move. She stared at Luke's piercing blue eyes and gave him a deafening slap.

"HOW COULD YOU?! ALL THOSE INNONCENT PEOPLE!!"

Quickly, I moved in restraining her from slapping Luke again.

"LET ME GO, ANNABETH!" She shrieked as she started thrashing about. I tried my best to hold her back but Thalia was filled with so much rage and anger. I couldn't match her strength and forced me to break the hold. She raised her fist and grabbed a handful of Luke's shirt in her free hand, attempting to knock Luke unconscious once again but stopped when the door was flung open. All eyes were focused on the centaur that opened the door.

"Let him go, Thalia," said Chiron patiently.

"But…"

Chiron placed both palms of his hands on Thalia's shoulders.

"Don't let rage cloud your judgement, Thalia. We need the information that Luke has."

Thalia reluctantly pushed Luke away and stomped to a nearby chair. She sat down staring intently at the traitor. Despite Luke taunting her to continue her assault with a grin spread across his face, Thalia kept her rage at bay. She was clenching her fist so hard I thought she was going to break her own hand.

"Now, Luke. What happened during the past year…,"

Before he could finish the sentence, Luke let out a sinister laugh. Thalia got up ready to punch Luke, but Chiron signaled her to sit back down.

Nico and Grover came bursting in moments later.

"Great, another ass for me to laugh at," laughed Luke.

Chiron grabbed Luke by his collar and closed up on his face.

"What happened during the past year after your battle with Percy at New York?"

"It's been a year already?" asked Luke, wiping a tear from his eye. "Well, like it matters, Percy is dead anyway."

My heart sank as the words came out of his mouth. I approached Luke, standing right beside his bed.

"What…?" I asked, my voice shaking. "What did you just say…?"

"Percy. Is. Dead. Read. My. Lips. I stabbed him myself!"

Luke's laughter roared throughout camp.

_"Impossible. No. Grover would have died if Percy died. Nico himself said he hadn't seen Percy's spirit in the underworld. What the hell was going on?" I thought to myself._

"It can't be. Percy isn't dead!" I shouted.

Luke stared at me with that evil grin across his face.

"Face it, Annabeth."

I couldn't believe it. Percy was… really… gone…?

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**Percy!!! NO!!!! This chapter came out earlier than I had expected. I was very free so I decided to post this chapter up. Still college assignments are gonna pile up soon but I'll still make it a weekly update!**

**Once again, I urge all readers to REVIEW ! Set it on STORY ALERT! I promise I'll make this story memorable to ALL Percy Jackson fans. =D**

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

P.S: Updates on Expected Release Date for Chapter 4 will be on My Profile. Check my profile often for polls in case I need help so that I get your opinion on what to write. (Favorite Me XD)

**Signing Off- Heaven's Solstice**


	4. Chapter 3: Nightmares And Tears

**Hey guys, its Solstice here.**

**I've got nothing much to say. Except that I was really (for some apparent reason) free so I decided to make this chapter an epic one. Thanks once again for all the reviews and alerts. I appreciate everything =).**

**So, here's Chapter 3! Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Nightmares and Tears

Annabeth's POV

The air was still and humid. The rain had finally stopped and I could see a few of the campers reigniting the doused flame of the campfire. Some were running to the infirmary, hoping to take a sneak peek at the so-called "hot traitor" of Olympus. Clarisse was dragging Chris Rodriguez to the infirmary so that she herself could take a shot or two at Luke, but clearly from Chris' face, I knew he didn't want to go. He tried talking Clarisse out of it but knowing the hard-headed Clarisse, she wouldn't.

Mainly, those who were at the Great Battle were allowed in the infirmary. They had put their life on the line for Olympus. It was their god-given right to see the traitor. But Luke had valuable information that the camp authorities wanted and as such, no one was allowed to physically harm him let alone go near him for the time being.

Luke…

Tears welled up in my eyes again. The moment I thought of him, I thought of all the misery he had put me through despite being the "brother" I had respected and admired. Now all I could feel for him was pure hatred.

_"Face it, Annabeth."_

_"Percy. Is. Dead. Read. My. Lips…"_

A day ago, I believed with all my heart that Percy would be the one to come back to camp. Not Luke. Not that malicious bastard who killed Percy…

"_Impossible!" I exclaimed._

_"Don't think of Percy as some kind of invincible hero, Annabeth," he said with a sinister grin spread across his face. "Delusional. I swear."_

_"You...," I hissed.  
_

_I raised the palm of my hand, ready to slap that pathetic smile off his face._

_"That's enough!" Chiron exclaimed._

_He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose._

_"Annabeth… Thalia… All of you please leave the infirmary immediately," he ordered._

_Thalia and I tried reasoning. We wanted to stay. We wanted to know what happened when we were blinded by the light, but Chiron insisted that we leave the infirmary or Argus would come and escort us out. Leaving us no chance to bargain or reason with him, we had no choice but to leave. _

"You OK?"

The voice startled me. I turned around and saw Thalia standing at the door. Nico and Grover were trailing behind her with that look of concern in their eyes.

Quickly, I wiped the tears from my puffy red eyes.

"Sure, come in. Everyone else is outside by the campfire."

Thalia sat beside me putting her comforting arm around me. Grover and Nico sat on a bed behind me silently. Boys. Clueless then and now.

"I know… It's hard for you. Percy was one of the closest friends you had…"

That's Thalia for you. She never was good at these kinds of things. Even back then before she turned into a tree.

"You were in love with him, weren't you?"

I let out a heavy sigh. The tears just kept rolling down my cheeks.

"Does it matter now?" I said. "Percy's dead. Luke killed him. In love with him? Maybe… But even so, it doesn't make a difference now, does it?"

Then, there was nothing. Nothing but the sound of a girl weeping her tears, finally releasing the sadness she had kept for so very long.

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Chiron's POV

Five minutes had passed. Five minutes of staring at Luke, wondering what was going through that head of his.

"You gonna talk, horse boy?" He finally said breaking the silence.

I sat for a little while longer.

_"This is intriguing…," I thought._

"You're a very good liar, Luke."

Luke stared at me with his cold blue eyes. The smile he had faded in an instant.

"Why lie?" I asked.

"Who said I was lying?" The blonde-haired teen said.

"You can deny all you want, Luke. You can fool Annabeth and the rest. But an experienced soldier like me can always tell when a person is lying just by the look in their eyes. Your eyes tell me you're scared. Terrified. And once again, I return to my question."

I approached Luke, closer and closer until both our eyes met each other face to face.

"Why lie…?" I muttered.

A bead of sweat dripped from the side of his temple.

_"Ahh… Sweat on a cold night? I was right, "I thought to myself._

"Chiron…," said Luke, his voice shaking. He was scared for some reason. A well-played bravado in front of Annabeth and the rest, but I wasn't fooled.

"Percy…," he continued. "He is dead. Just not in the conventional way…"

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Grover's POV

_The camp was burning…_

_Carnage and blood…_

_Intense flames…_

_And in the middle, stood the culprit. The one who orchestrated the massacre. The one responsible for the carnage left behind. The maestro behind this bloodbath…_

_Enveloped by the towering shadows of the flaming cabins, I could only see, as he turned around, the brilliant golden eyes that made my legs become jelly. In his right hand, he held a sword dripping with the blood of his victims. And he was approaching closer and closer to me…_

_I backed down…_

_Closer…_

_And as the black figure stepped out of the darkness of the shadows, light from the flames slowly began unveiling the dark mask hiding the culprit's face…_

_It was a human… male…_

_Then…_

_He lunged so quickly in front that I had no time to react. His sword pierced through my abdomen. Before I began fading out of consciousness, I caught a clear glimpse of the person's face._

_He whispered right into my ear, the last words I heard before I blacked out._

_"All of you shall pay for your insolence…," said a familiar metallic voice._

I jolted upright. Beads of sweat dropped from my forehead. My hands were shaking. I had never been so terrified in my life. I was out of words. Speechless. Horrified. I only managed to utter one word before I started running towards camp from the forest.

"Kronos…"

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Chiron's POV_  
_

"What are you saying, Luke?" I said confused with the statement he just said.

"The Percy you all know and love is gone. Have you all wondered why Kronos isn't in my body anymore?"

I froze right there.

_"No… No… It can't be!" I thought._

"Your eyes tell me you're in denial, horse boy. And to clarify… Yes. Kronos has found his new pet. Percy is the new host for Kronos' malicious soul."

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**Thus, ENDS another chapter. Hopefully some speculations ANSWERED! Don't FORGET to REVIEW!!**

**Signing off.**

**-Heaven's Solstice.**

**P.S: CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM AND WRITE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE STORY FOR COOKIES!!! CIAO =)**


	5. Chapter 4: What Matters Most

**Thanks to all the reviews. After careful consideration, I have decided to go on with this story with one alteration. No more change of POVs. I am planning another story. One about an OC (Original Character).**

**So for all of you who like my story enjoy this chapter!**

**And all who have put some good CCs on the Review page, I appreciate all of you and I promise that I'll make my second story better than this one but this is something I have to finish.**

**To new readers, if you know about OOCs and all that, you may not want to read this. If you do, well … I don't know it's entirely up to you.**

**So… Chapter 4. Here it goes!**

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**Chapter 4: What Matters Most**

Percy Jackson was lying down on the sandy beach of an island in the middle of nowhere regaining his consciousness. His head felt like it was being hammered on the inside. His blood-stained shirt and jeans were tattered like a homeless hobo. His body felt like every ounce of strength he had in him had vanished into thin air.

He shielded his eyes from the glaring rays of sunlight.

_"How long has it been since I was awake?" He began to question himself._

Slowly staggering to his feet, he took a quick glance at his surroundings. Basically, the sea was in front of him and at the back, was a forest filled with greenery unscathed from the hands of civilization. Other than that, it was all sand, sand and more sand.

_"Too tired to get back to camp. Too tired to even stand." _

He took a step in front and his legs began to feel like jelly. He tumbled face first down to the golden sand below him.

"What happened…,"muttered Percy as he rolled over on his back.

Then, his eyes widened. He tried recollecting what had happened to him. What could have led him to be astray on this island? It was as if a big void had filled the time when he was dueling with Luke and his current dilemma. He mustered up all the strength he could to sit upright as he tried reminiscing for the slightest bit of memory on the problem, or possibly problems, that had ensued, causing him to be left in his present predicament.

Nothing. Zilch. 

His eyes began to furrow as he attempted recalling what had happened during the time he blacked out.

_"How did I end up thousands of miles away from camp after fighting with Luke? It's not like I could have flew across the sea… Wait!"_

The sea.

If he could just reach the water, he could replenish his strength. That's one of the plus sides of being Poseidon's kid. The thought itself gave him a short burst of energy as a grin spread across his face. He struggled to push himself up and reach the water. Staggering with each step he took, he tried, with sheer willpower, to just take a few more steps in front so that he could extend his arm and touch the azure sea water washing up on shore.

He could picture it now. Returning to camp, to his friends, to his family.

_"One more… ARGHH!"_

Right before the final step, a sharp pain triggered in his head. He took a few steps back as he gripped his forehead with his right hand, trying to endure the excruciating pain in his skull. But it was to no avail. The pain was just too much for Percy to handle in his current state. He collapsed, letting out a painful cry.

"Is it too much for the insolent demigod to handle?" A voice called out.

Percy heard it loud and clear. A deep voice sounding utterly delighted at his suffering. But the pain throbbing in his head wasn't showing any signs of subsiding.

_"Writhe, demigod. Writhe in your insufferable pain," laughed the voice.  
_  
"WHO ARE YOU?!" Percy screamed as he endured through the mortal pain with his hand still gripping tight on his forehead and his eyes tightly shut.

"You know precisely who I am, son of Poseidon. And I have to admit I am impressed, luck or not, that you managed to wound me with a mere celestial bronze dagger.

At that pivotal moment, only one word rushed into Percy's mind.

_Kronos._

"Show yourself!" Percy commanded as he slowly rose to his feet, with his right hand in his pocket fidgeting for Riptide.

No doubt he was having one of the world's most serious migraines, but with Kronos in the picture, it was either get up or die. At least, that was what Percy thought.

"I'm right here, pathetic fool."

Percy looked around. Not a figure in sight. Not even a shadow.

"Here…," whispered the voice.

Percy spun behind. There was still nothing.

All of a sudden, the agonizing pain in his cranium had faded. The voice of Kronos laughing, jeering and whispering had also stopped.

_"A hallucination?"_

His bewildered thoughts had to be settled later when he saw how close he was to the sea. Rejuvenating his body came first. Especially after that bizarre ordeal.

He kneeled down on the shore and placed his hand into the sea. Instantly, the water felt like it had completely replenished his long lost energy. Percy led out a sigh of relief. Now he felt like his old self again.

_"Only one thing left to do," he thought to himself._

Being the son of Poseidon and all, being thousands of miles away from camp was nothing when he was in water. He jumped into the sea, propelling himself north-west in the direction of camp, grinning at the thought of seeing his family and his friends again.

* * *

"That's about all I have to say…"

There was the awkward moment of silence in the director's cabin. Mr. D was no longer the head honcho of Camp Half-Blood after the Great Battle. He was now up there on Mt. Olympus probably sipping his wine enjoying his life after "what seemed as an eternity of pure torture", as he would quote.

Everyone was completely lost for words after hearing Chiron explaining Percy's situation.

"That's why I couldn't sense the empathy link…," muttered Grover.

"It is possible that Kronos is blocking the connection you two have," explained Chiron. "But, of course, I am not entirely sure whether it is the true reason to why you cannot sense the empathy link… So…"

"I don't get it. How could Kronos possess Percy in the first place? I mean, it couldn't be that simple," asked Thalia.

Chiron let out a heavy sigh. "It still remains unclear the details as to how Percy could have been possessed so easily, but…"

"Why…,"

Then, all eyes turned to Annabeth.

"For a year, I've been sulking over that Seaweed Brain. And now that I've accepted his death, I find out he's been possessed by the most wanted being in Olympus?"

She shook her head and headed towards the window, setting her eyes on the golden sunset in the horizon.

"Assuming I trust what Luke says," she continued, changing the subject. "Then, what can we do?"

"What about the Oracle of Delphi as a start?" Nico suggested.

Annabeth nodded, agreeing with Nico but it was Chiron's turn to interfere.

"I am not letting any of you leave this camp. Now that Kronos is out there, I'm not letting any of you risk your life once again to go on this quest. Too many lives have been lost. Beckendorf. Silena. I am not going to add more names to this list by letting any of you go," insisted Chiron.

Then, silence ensued. Nobody dared go against Chiron. He is a very well-respected figure in camp, after all.  
Chiron let out another heavy sigh. He was tired. Exhausted.

"Go, demigods. Back to your cabins," he said.

And so one by one, Thalia, Nico, Annabeth and Grover went out of the cabin.

And as they walked back to the Athena cabin, Nico asked, "That's not gonna stop us now, isn't it?"

In unison, all three of them nodded their heads. With a big smile on Nico's face, he said, "Then let's go see the Oracle of Delphi."

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**That's it. Adventure BEGINS!**

**Don't forget REVIEW!**

**P.S: God of War 3 ROCKS!!! **


	6. Chapter 5: The Return

**Solstice is hungering for more reviews. Feed me or I shall kill someone in the story!!**

**XP Anyways, time to keep this short and simple. On with the story!!

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**

**Chapter 5: The Return**

_A malevolent intent from an immortal's soul,  
Shall send four heroes to play their role,  
An impossible choice must one of them make,  
or all will die, crushing the world's fate._

"Yeah, that was certainly 'helpful'," cursed Nico.

"Shut up, Nico," muttered Thalia.

"He's right, Thalia. We haven't got a clue where to start," said Grover as he folded his arms.

"Which is why I'm telling you to shut up too, Goat Boy," hissed Thalia as she signaled the satyr to look over her shoulder.

Annabeth was trying really hard to comprehend what the prophecy was saying, trying to figure out a clue that could imminently help them find Percy. But the only words she could focus on were 'impossible choice' and 'all will die'. Losing Percy was one thing. If she were to cause the death of her friends and not to mention herself, she would never forgive herself. Not even in the afterlife.

"It's weird though," Annabeth said.

The three of her friends averted their attention to her, waiting for her to explain her comment.

"The prophecy," she continued. "It said nothing about saving anyone."

"It's a prophecy. It's supposed to be cryptic and work in ways no one would expect," said Nico.

"Yeah, and it ain't the whole package until there's either the world 'death', 'die', or any other word relating to someone kicking the bucket," said Grover before he winced in pain when Thalia kicked him in the shin.

"In any case, I doubt that the Oracle can give us any more help, so we should just…,"

Before Annabeth could even finish her sentence, she was interrupted by the sound of roaring and cheering outside.

"Chariot race?" Grover asked.

"Chiron didn't organize one," responded Thalia. "I would have been in it with Annabeth if there was."

The cheers were getting louder and louder. Intrigued by the sudden commotion, the four of them headed out towards the sea of people crowding the shore. Some jumping for joy, some raising their celestial bronze swords but the question was, about what?

From a distance, Annabeth and her friends could see Chiron observing the crowd from a distance, smiling warmly. Quickly, they ran over to the centaur.

"Chiron, what's up?" Nico asked.

"Why not go there and see for yourself?" He replied.

Annabeth and Thalia approached the crowd with Nico and Grover following closely behind them. They squeezed through the mob and what they saw completely blew them away.

The orange sunset made the moment even more awe-inspiring as Annabeth cupped her mouth with the palm of her hand. Thalia laughed as she placed her arm around her good friend. Grover was completely overwhelmed with happiness, cheering alongside with the crowd as he jumped for joy.

"I knew it," said Nico as a grin spread across his face.

The enigma that riddled every single mind on Camp Half-Blood disappeared in that moment of pure pride and exhilaration. It was a time when every camper's problem seemed insignificant and just faded away. The joy and delight you feel in that moment was incomparable to any other feeling you have ever felt. Even winning a billion dollar lottery would be like a speck compared to this.

Under the orange evening sky shifting into night stood the epitome of pure heroism and courage.

The lost son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson had returned.

* * *

The Poseidon cabin was, well, the same. Nothing much had changed. Tyson, Percy's half brother who is also a Cyclops, was helping their father rebuild his kingdom under the sea. The brave Cyclops was part of the final defense for Poseidon's palace until they were forced to abandon it to strengthen the defense at Mount Olympus against Typhon.

Percy was lying in bed. Tired. Exhausted. Drained. Those were the words he could only think of. It wasn't easy travelling thousands of miles back to camp. He was, after all, part human. He closed his eyes, hoping that he could doze off into a deep slumber without anyone ruining it. Then, there was a knock on the door.

_"So much for sleep," he thought._

He got up and opened the door.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth with a smirk on her face.

"Hi, Annabeth."

Percy was always delighted to see her. Her blonde hair, her pretty face. But for someone who was courageous enough to defend Manhattan from being annihilated by the Titans, he had a hard time trying to come clean with his feelings.

"So can I come in or are you just gonna leave me standing outside here?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, sure," said Percy, still in a daze. He really needed some sleep.

Annabeth walked around the room. Percy closed the door and noticed that Annabeth had something in her hand.

"What's that, Wise Girl?" he asked curiously.

"It's for you," she said, tossing him the package.

"A present for the hero? You shouldn't have," teased Percy.

Annabeth let out a fake laugh. "Very funny," she said.

Percy unwrapped the present. Inside was a miniature statue of a pegasus with a teenager riding it, raising a sword. It was made out of pewter and was really shiny. At the base of the miniature statue was engraved the words : "Percy Jackson. Hero. Friend. Beloved Son."

"This is… amazing," said Percy.

"Your mom, Grover and I decided to buy this as a birthday present for you, you know. We all believed you would come back. So…,"

"Wait," Percy said. "Birthday present? Annabeth, how long was I gone?"

"You don't know?" she asked, in shock. "Percy, you were gone for a year. I nearly…,"

Percy was in disbelief.

"I blacked out for a year. Wait, what happened after I fought Luke?" he asked Annabeth.

Annabeth didn't know how to explain it to him, but only one person had the answers. And she was not sure whether Percy was ready to meet him or not.

"I…," she stuttered.

"Annabeth, ever since I woke up… I felt like a part of me is missing. I can only remember what happened after that bright light flashed when I was fighting….ARGHH!"

Percy gripped his head. There it was again. The migraine. Every time he tried remembering, every time he tried filling in the blanks, the excruciating pain would torture him. It was as if something was trying to block him from remembering the past he had lost.

"Percy, what's wrong?" she asked as she put his arms around her shoulder.

"Migraine. Pain. Aghh…," he muttered.

"We have to take you to the infirmary."

Then, she remembered the person in the infirmary. The blonde-haired traitor. Putting these two together in the same room would be like putting two hungry lions in a cage with only one piece of meat. All hell was going to break loose.  


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**So, that about wraps up another chapter. So… I need REVIEWS! It's the drive that keeps me enthusiastic. Feel free to add in your own opinion on what should happen in the next chapter.**

**Thank you, and signing off.**

**P.S: I really need your reviews.**


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